Autonomic SLA breach value estimation

ABSTRACT

A method, system and apparatus for estimating an SLA breach value. The method can include processing resource data to identify an acceptable SLA breach value; and, displaying the acceptable SLA breach value through a user interface. The processing step can include identifying a best practices SLA breach value based upon resource data for an aggregation of customers. Alternatively, the processing step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer. As a further alternative, the identifying step can include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specific customer for a specific resource. As yet a further alternative, the processing step can include identifying an SLA breach value trend based upon past measured historical systems management data; and, predicting a future SLA breach value based upon the trend. In all cases, the acceptable SLA breach value can be increased by a fixed proportion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Statement of the Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of policy baseddifferentiation and more particularly to the real-time monitoring andenforcement of the terms of a service level agreement (SLA).

2. Description of the Related Art

The modern global network can be viewed as a complex interweaving ofmultiple network technologies, server platforms, client capabilities andapplication requirements. The vast majority of network technologieshandle device requests indiscriminately. That is, regardless of theidentity of the requester or the type of request, each device requestcan be processed with equal priority. Given the exponential increase innetwork traffic across the Internet, however, more recentnetwork-oriented computing devices have begun to provide varying levelsof computing services based upon what has been referred to as a “policybased service differentiation model”.

In a policy based service differentiation model, the computing devicescan offer many levels of service where different requests for differentcontent or services which originate from different requesters receivedifferent levels of treatment depending upon administratively definedpolicies. In this regard, a service level agreement (SLA) can specify aguaranteed level of responsiveness based upon a pre-defined policy. Moreparticularly, the SLA is a contract that specifies an agreement betweena service provider and customer regarding a level of service to beprovided by the service provider to the customer in respect to aspecific resource or resources.

The policy based service differentiation model is the logical result ofseveral factors. Firstly, the number and variety of computingapplications which generate requests across networks both private andpublic has increased dramatically in the last decade. Each of theseapplications, however, has different service requirements. Secondly,technologies and protocols that enable the provision of differentservices having different levels of security and quality of service(QoS) have become widely available. Yet, access to these differentspecific services must be regulated because these specific services canconsume important computing resources such as network bandwidth, memoryand processing cycles. Finally, business objectives or organizationalgoals can be best served when discriminating between different requestsrather than treating all requests for computer processing in a likemanner.

Within the modern enterprise, the enterprise can receive a substantialbenefit for effectively providing differentiated service to differentcustomers and different data so that some customers and data receive ahigher level of service than other customers and data on the network.That is to say, where the enterprise satisfies the expected servicelevel of a valued customer, the enterprise can retain the customer.Conversely, where the enterprise fails to satisfy the expected level ofservice of a valued customer, the enterprise likely can lose thecustomer. Hence, differentiated service can be an important component ofe-commerce inasmuch as a customer always can be viewed as merely “oneclick away” from a competitor's system where response times falter.

Accordingly, the enforcement of the terms of an SLA can be of paramountimportance in managing the customer service relationship. To that end,service level management systems have become commonplace in theenterprise. A service level management system can track servicesprovided to customers and compare the delivery of services to theservice terms of a corresponding SLA. Data can be collected over time inrespect to the resources associated with the SLA and the data can beevaluated to determine if any of the terms of the SLA have beenbreached.

Part of the process of defining an SLA involves choosing the thresholdsacross which a breach of the SLA can be identified. Presently, SLAbreach values are manually selected when configuring service levelobjectives for a service offering. Still, SLA breach values are the mostcritical piece of information included in an SLA because trends andviolations are calculated against the defined breach values. Ideally,when establishing a breach value, each of a resource performancemeasurement, measurement time period and a target set of resources mustbe specified. Thus, recommending a breach value for use during theconfiguration process can be complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the art in respectto establishing an SLA breach value and provides a novel and non-obviousmethod, system and apparatus for SLA breach value estimation. In thisregard, in a preferred aspect of the invention, an SLA breach valueestimator can include a communicative coupling to performance historydata for at least one resource for at least one customer; and, a furthercommunicative coupling to a user interface through which an SLA breachvalue estimate is proposed. Finally, the SLA breach value estimator caninclude at least one SLA breach value estimation process selected fromthe group consisting of an aggregated process, a specific customerprocess, a customer resource subset process, and a predictive process.

Notably, in the preferred aspect of the invention, the SLA breach valueestimator can be disposed within an SLA builder. Additionally, the SLAbreach value estimator can include a graphical user interface configuredto render a chart of performance data over time derived from theperformance history data along with an indication of a current SLAbreach value setting and a proposed SLA breach value setting. As such,the proposed SLA breach value setting can include a programmaticconfiguration for being graphically modified to establish a new SLAbreach value setting.

Finally, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, acompliance process can be disposed within the SLA breach valueestimation process. The compliance process can include logic forproposing an SLA breach value estimate computed to render probable SLAcompliance for a percentage of time equivalent to a specified compliancevalue. The compliance process further can include a compliance interfacethrough which the compliance value can be specified.

A method for estimating an SLA breach value can include processingresource data to identify an acceptable SLA breach value; and,displaying the acceptable SLA breach value through a user interface. Theprocessing step can include identifying a best practices SLA breachvalue based upon data for an aggregation of customers. Alternatively,the processing step can include identifying an average SLA breach valuefor a specific customer. As a further alternative, the identifying stepcan include identifying an average SLA breach value for a specificcustomer for a specific resource. As yet a further alternative, theprocessing step can include identifying an SLA breach value trend basedupon past measured resource data; and, predicting a future SLA breachvalue based upon the trend. In all cases, the acceptable SLA breachvalue can be increased by a fixed proportion.

Importantly, a chart of the resource data can be rendered against aperiod of time in a graphical user interface. Additionally, an indicatorboth of a current SLA breach value and a proposed SLA breach value canbe overlain about the rendered chart. Preferably, the graphicalmanipulation of the indicator of the proposed SLA breach value can bepermitted. Consequently, an SLA breach value can be established basedupon the graphical manipulation. Alternatively, a compliance percentagecan be established. Subsequently, the acceptable SLA breach value can beestablished so that SLA compliance is probable for a percentage of timeequivalent to the compliance percentage.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspectsof the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elementsand combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It isto be understood that both the foregoing general description and thefollowing detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only andare not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute partof the this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred,it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to theprecise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a system and process for SLAbreach value estimation;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating four exemplary configurations forthe SLA breach value estimation process of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is an exemplary screen shot of a graphical user interface for theSLA breach value estimation process of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is an SLA breach value estimation system, methodand apparatus. In accordance with the present invention, an SLA breachvalue can be proposed at the time of constructing an SLA based uponpreviously measured data, such as performance data, for the resource orresources subject to the SLA. Notably, in a base mode of operation, thedata can reflect “best practices” and can be derived from measured dataglobally without respect to a particular customer. In an advanced aspectof the invention, the data can relate to a specific customer, and in afurther advanced aspect of the invention, the data can relate to aspecific sub-set of resources associated with a specific customer.

Finally, in yet a further advanced aspect of the invention, the data canbe predictive in nature and the SLA breach value estimate can beproduced by extrapolating existing data to predict future data.Importantly, tolerances can be modified to morph a computed SLA breachvalue estimate based upon historically measured data into a revised SLAbreach value estimate. Additionally, a graphical user interface can bepresented in which a chart of the data over time can be rendered. Avisual representation of the SLA breach value estimate can be renderedwithin the chart and can be visually manipulated to modify the SLAbreach value setting in an SLA.

In further illustration of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a pictorialillustration of a system and process for SLA breach value estimation.The system of the present invention can include an SLA builder 110configured to generate an SLA 130 based upon the performance of one ormore resources 140. A service level monitor 160 can be coupled to theresources 140 as well and can monitor the performance of the resources140, particularly in respect to the SLA 130. Specifically, during thecourse of performance, data 150 for the performance of the resources canbe measured by the service level monitor 160. The data 150 subsequentlycan be written to a performance history database 170.

Significantly, a breach value estimation process 180 can becommunicatively coupled to the performance history database 170. Thebreach value estimation process 180 can process the data 150 stored inthe performance history database 170 to produce an SLA breach valueestimate. The SLA breach value estimate, in turn, can be proposed to theend user through a user interface 120 to the SLA builder 110. Though theend user need not consider the SLA breach value estimate in establishingan SLA breach value, the SLA breach value estimate can proactivelysuggest the SLA breach value estimate in an attempt to assist the userin selecting a suitable SLA breach value.

Importantly, the SLA breach value estimation process 180 can produce anSLA breach value estimate according to one or more acceptable estimationmethods. In this regard, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating fourexemplary configurations for the SLA breach value estimation process ofFIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the SLA breach value estimation process 210can include an aggregated process 220 based upon data collected from allcustomers. Consequently, the SLA breach value estimate produced by theaggregated process 220 can be viewed as a “best practices” approach inas much as the SLA breach value estimate will not account for individualcustomer system environments, specific resources or time periods.

As an example, a basic best practices estimate can provide for aspecific response time for providing a Web page (e.g. average Web pagerender time=500 ms) without regard for the time frame in which thespecific response time had been measured, and the particular systemenvironments associated with the data. Notably, while one time frame maysuit one customer, the same time frame may not suit another customer.Accordingly, in a preferred aspect of the present invention, the SLAbreach value estimation process can incorporate a more advancedalgorithm which accounts for specific customers and, where required, aspecific subset of resources.

Returning now to FIG. 2, an SLA breach value estimate can be producedbased upon specific customers data 230 measured for a specific customer,and optionally, a specific resource type. The approach of the specificcustomer data 230 can produce an SLA breach value estimate which isspecific to the customer environment and representative of all of theresources of a certain type in that environment. As an example, thespecific customer data 230 algorithm can account for the average Webpage render time across all Web servers in a specific customerenvironment over a six month period.

In the customer resource subset algorithm 240, the approach of thespecific customer data algorithm 230 can be applied with the exceptionthat the data of only a subset of the resources in the customerenvironment are considered. By limiting the resources considered to asubset, a more accurate SLA breach value estimate can be computed for anSLA which specifies a resource within the subset. As an example, an SLAbreach value estimate can be computed based upon the average Web pagerender time across those Web servers having a root domain of“raleigh.ibm.com” as measured across a six month period. A proportionatevalue such as 125% of the computation can be selected as the default SLAbreach value.

Finally, in a more complicated approach to the SLA breach valueestimation process 210, a predictive algorithm 250 can be applied. Inthe predictive algorithm, both actual and predicted data areincorporated into the estimate. In particular, historical trends can beconsidered in predicting the data of the resource or resources goingforward. Several predictive models are known in the art which caninclude linear regression, though graphical extrapolation also remains avalid method for generating a predictive value.

Importantly, in addition to permitting the direct establishment of anSLA breach value based upon a predictive estimate, a compliancepercentage can be specified in lieu of a specific value responsive towhich a precise SLA breach value can be suggested by the SLA breachvalue estimation process 210. For instance, where a 97% compliance ratehas been requested, for a given time range, the breach value can beautomatically computed using historical systems management data to yield3% or fewer breaches of the SLA. In this way, the establishment of theSLA breach value can more closely reflect to the business concerns insetting an SLA breach value.

Notably, in regard to the entire customer environment 230 and thecustomer resource subset 240 algorithms, a graphical user interface canbe rendered for the benefit of an administrator in establishing an SLAbreach value. As shown in FIG. 3, A graph 300 can be generated whichincludes data for a set of resources over a given time range. In thegraph, a line can be drawn for a recommended breach value as dynamicallycalculated based upon historical data. The graph 300 further can reflecta current breach value and a default breach value. The graph 300 can beinteractive so that an administrator can adjust the recommended breachvalue by graphically manipulating the placement of the line along they-axis of the graph 300 in order to potentially yield few or no SLAbreaches in the future.

The present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software. An implementation of the methodand system of the present invention can be realized in a centralizedfashion in one computer system, or in a distributed fashion wheredifferent elements are spread across several interconnected computersystems. Any kind of computer system, or other apparatus adapted forcarrying out the methods described herein, is suited to perform thefunctions described herein.

A typical combination of hardware and software could be a generalpurpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loadedand executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out themethods described herein. The present invention can also be embedded ina computer program product, which comprises all the features enablingthe implementation of the methods described herein, and which, whenloaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods.

Computer program or application in the present context means anyexpression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructionsintended to cause a system having an information processing capabilityto perform a particular function either directly or after either or bothof the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b)reproduction in a different material form. Significantly, this inventioncan be embodied in other specific forms without departing from thespirit or essential attributes thereof, and accordingly, referenceshould be had to the following claims, rather than to the foregoingspecification, as indicating the scope of the invention.

We claim:
 1. A computer hardware system for estimating a service levelagreement (SLA) breach value for a resource, comprising: a performancehistory database including historical performance data for the resource;and at least one computer hardware device coupled to the performancehistory database, wherein the at least one computer hardware device isconfigured to: retrieve the historical performance data for theresource, and generate the estimated SLA breach value by processing thehistorical performance data for the resource, wherein the at least onecomputer hardware device is configured to generate, using a compliancepercentage, the estimated SLA breach value.
 2. The computer hardwaresystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer hardware device isconfigured to build a SLA.
 3. The computer hardware system of claim 1,wherein the at least one computer hardware device is configured togenerate a chart, the chart includes the historical performance data forthe resource and a current SLA breach value setting.
 4. The computerhardware system of claim 3, wherein the at the at least one computerhardware device is configured to receive a proposed SLA breach valuesetting and regenerate the chart to include the proposed SLA breachvalue setting.
 5. The computer hardware system of claim 1, wherein theestimated SLA breach value is a predicted value by which a predeterminedcompliance percentage can be achieved by employing the estimated SLAbreach value with a service level agreement associated with theresource.
 6. A method for estimating a service level agreement (SLA)breach value for a resource, comprising: retrieving historicalperformance data for the resource from a performance history database;generating, with a computer hardware system, the estimated SLA breachvalue by processing the historical performance data for the resource;and displaying, using the computer hardware system, the estimated SLAbreach value, wherein the generating comprises receiving a compliancepercentage; and computing said estimated SLA breach value based upon thecompliance percentage.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the historicalperformance data is based upon an aggregation of customers accessing theresource.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the historical performancedata is based upon a single specific customer accessing the resource. 9.The method of claim 6, wherein the generating comprises identifying anSLA breach value trend based upon the historical performance data; andpredicting a future SLA breach value based upon the trend.
 10. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the estimated SLA breach value is a predictedvalue by which a predetermined compliance percentage can be achieved byemploying the estimated SLA breach value with a service level agreementassociated with the resource.
 11. A machine readable storage devicehaving stored therein computer program code for estimating a servicelevel agreement (SLA) breach value for a resource, the computer programcode, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes thecomputer hardware system to perform: retrieving historical performancedata for the resource from a performance history database; generating,with a computer hardware system, the estimated SLA breach value byprocessing the historical performance data for the resource; anddisplaying, using the computer hardware system, the estimated SLA breachvalue, wherein the generating comprises receiving a compliancepercentage; and computing said estimated SLA breach value based upon thecompliance percentage, and the machine readable storage device is not atransitory, propagating signal per se.
 12. The machine readable storageof claim 11, wherein the historical performance data is based upon anaggregation of customers accessing the resource.
 13. The machinereadable storage of claim 11, wherein the historical performance data isbased upon a single specific customer accessing the resource.
 14. Themachine readable storage of claim 11, wherein the generating comprisesidentifying an SLA breach value trend based upon the historicalperformance data; and predicting a future SLA breach value based uponthe trend.
 15. The machine readable storage of claim 11, wherein theestimated SLA breach value is a predicted value by which a predeterminedcompliance percentage can be achieved by employing the estimated SLAbreach value with a service level agreement associated with theresource.